Visit Bay Area Museums for Free in October

Visit some of the Bay Area’s best museums for free this October! Discover free admission days and special programs at family-friendly museums in San Francisco and around the Bay Area.

Note that most museums charge for admission to special exhibitions and usually only the special exhibition fee is charged on free days; see details with each museum listing in our ultimate guide to San Francisco Bay Area museum free days below.

First Thursday of the Month—October 1

• Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Every Saturday—October 3, 10, 17 & 24

For San Francisco Bay Area residents; must show proof of residency. Special exhibition fees apply.

• de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor

Bank of America Museums on Us—October 3 & 4

Bank of America, Merrill, or America Private Bank credit or debit card holders get free general admission on the first full weekend of every month. Present your card and a photo ID for admission (one free general admission per cardholder). Get full details here. Participating museums include:

• de Young Museum
• Legion of Honor
• Napa Valley Museum, Yountville

First Sunday of the Month—October 4

• Asian Art Museum
• Oakland Museum of California

First Tuesday of the Month—October 6

• de Young Museum
• Legion of Honor
• Conservatory of Flowers

Second Tuesday of the Month—October 13

• San Francisco Botanical Garden

If you can't make it to the museum on any of these free days, don't worry — the Marin County Free Library offers Discover & Go museum passes for patrons to check out. These passes provide free or discounted admission at many San Francisco Bay Area museums, including the Asian Art Museum, the Lawrence Hall of Science, the California Academy of Sciences, the Exploratorium, the Charles M. Schulz Museum, and more. You can even log in with your library card number and print a pass online! You can also check out passes to the Bay Area Discovery Museum at your local Library. Visit their website for more information.